


Signs and Symptoms

by thegreatstoryteller



Category: Black Panther (2018)
Genre: Awesome Shuri (Marvel), Erik Has Feelings, Erik Killmonger Lives, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-27 02:57:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13871628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegreatstoryteller/pseuds/thegreatstoryteller
Summary: How had he been so blind? The thought rolled violently in T’Challa’s head. He looked back in time, like a stranger watching from a window, all the signs, all the indications that this was happening. His eyes saw, but his mind cowered. How could this have happened?





	Signs and Symptoms

How had he been so blind? The thought rolled violently in T’Challa’s head. He looked back in time, like a stranger watching from a window, all the signs, all the indications that this was happening. His eyes saw, but his mind cowered. How could this have happened?

 

The first sign: The talking

Erik was saved from death. T’Challa would not have his cousin’s blood staining his hands. His father may have been able to accept his brother’s blood coating his, but T’Challa would not. He had taken his cousin in his arms and carried him to the lab, where help could be found. Shuri had healed him, begrudgingly, with a promise to kick T’Challa’s ass after she was finished.

The ass kicking never came, but he did have a ‘malfunction’ in his suit the following day that left him with a severe wedgie. Nakia had laughed, but T’Challa’s face had burned with embarrassment. Shuri had made herself scarce, but he knew she laughing at his expense in some room. The prank was childish, and retaliation would be childish as well. So, instead he composed himself and walked down to have a ‘chat’ with Shuri the next day.

He expected to find her at her normal workbench, instead she stood leaning against Erik’s healing pod, talking amicably with their cousin. T’Challa blinked and wiped at his eyes. Shuri was conversing freely with the man she had opposed healing and had tried to kill her.

She stood at attention when Erik pointed out his presence. Shuri lead T’Challa away and toward a new invention, brushing him off when he asked about what her Erik were talking about. It should have been enough to flag him as strange, but he trusted his sister. He let the odd sight of the two talking slip from his mind, in favor of the new tech Shuri spoke proudly of.

 

The second sign: The books

It had been a week since the lab incident. T’Challa had been walking down a corridor toward the throne room, a meeting was due to start with the leaders of the tribes. But he was paused by the sight of his younger sister walking toward him with a tall stack of books, high enough that she was struggling to see over the top of them. She tripped over an unseen groove in the floor, and all the books shifted, falling with several hard smacks onto the floor. Shuri growled and screwed up her face at the books lying across the floor.

“Need some help?” Her face softened, seeing T’Challa only a few feet away. He started picking up the books and handing them over. Shuri gave a quiet ‘thanks’. T’Challa glanced the covers of the books. They were all history books, on Wakanda. What was she doing with those? She had all of the history at her fingertips on her computer, why bother with physical books?

“They’re not for me, I’m giving them to Erik.” She answered, like it was a perfectly normal thing for her to do.

“Why?”

“He keeps asking about our country, so I thought I’d sate is curiosity.” Then quickly added. “Then he’ll stop bugging me and I can get some actual work done.” T’Challa nodded. It was natural for Erik to want more information about his homeland. It was nice of Shuri to track down the books for him. He was probably getting more than bored inside his healing pod, maybe it was time they moved him to a proper room.

“Alright, I hope he enjoys them.” T’Challa said. Shuri walked carefully down the hall toward her lab, and T’Challa headed into the throne room for his meeting. Thinking about where in the palace to house his wayward cousin. Not realizing he’d missed the second sign.

 

The third sign: Shuri’s new invention

One month post Erik’s rescue. He’d settled in nicely to his room in the northern tower. For the time being he wasn’t allowed to leave, but he had balconies and a spacious bedroom and bathroom. With force fields around the balconies to deter any escapes. However, they didn’t seem to be needed. Erik had been well behaved since his rescue. No one complained about him, not the maids who tended to his room or Shuri who was still giving him regular check ups.

Considering how maniacal his plans had been as king, T’Challa wasn’t sure how to react to this. Releasing him from the confines of his room for good behaviour would be premature. But, this did mark improvement. Perhaps getting to live in Wakanda and see how it thrived without war, was changing his mind. It was foolish for him to hope, but he still did.

He headed down to the lab, wanting to see what latest invention Shuri had created, but Shuri was nowhere to be seen. It was before midday, too early for lunch. Her assistants didn’t seem to know where she’d gone either. Strange. It wasn’t unusual for her to leave the lab and go test new tech in the fields or on willing test subjects. But for none of the assistants to no her whereabouts, that was odd. T’Challa left, with plans to return in an hour. She’d have to turn up at some point.

And he was right. An hour later Shuri was in the lab’s firing grounds, testing the fire range of a prototype vibranium laser rifle. It was a mighty weapon that had the power to disable his Black Panther suit. T’Challa thought she might be making weapons to use in the case that one of her suits was stolen again. It would have definitely come in handy with Erik.

“It’s impressive.” T’Challa remarked. Shuri beamed with pride. When It came to tech she was first in her class, and she knew it.

“If you think that’s impressive, you’ll love this.” Shuri lead him back toward the main lab. He couldn’t help noticing the slight skip in her step, but choose not to address it. He didn’t want to disturb whatever had put her in such a good mood.

“Now this is my new favorite.” Shuri said, presenting T’Challa with a small skin colored orb. It looked similar to the communication devices they’d been using recently. She stuck the orb onto the base of his skull. “Close your eyes.”

“What?”

“Close them.” Shuri repeated. T’Challa did as instructed. He felt her hand move to touch the device she’d placed on his neck. “Now imagine somewhere you’ve been before, see it in your mind.” T’Challa let his mind flow to a place it loved to go when he let it roam free. Back to the ancestral lands, with its kaleidoscope skies. The mental image brought him such a profound sense of peace. “Now, open your eyes.” T’Challa did.

Kaleidoscope skies? T’Challa turned rapidly looking around in all directions. He was in the ancestral plane. How?

“How does it look, brother?” He turned back, Shuri was standing just beside him. How could she be here?

“What is this?”

“The device connects with your neural pathways to create images from your memory, or imagination, but those ones tend to be a bit wonky.” She said.

“Can you see this?” he asked.

“No” She said sadly. “All I can see around me is the lab. I’m working on an interface so that the images can be shared to another person, but so far it's only for a solo user.”

“This is wonderful.” T’Challa told her. He bent down and ghosted his hands over the thick grass at his feet. It was there the illusion broke, his hand simply went through the grass, instead he felt the cool sleek tile floor of the lab. His eyes saw the grass, but his fingertips felt the truth. It was visually convincing, but Shuri still needed to work on the physical aspect.

“I know, plenty more work to do, but it’s a technological first. It can’t be perfect the first go around.” She smiled at him brightly. It was another new challenge for her to toy with, no wonder she was in such a peppy mood. Shuri walked behind T’Challa and removed the orb from his neck. T’Challa blinked and the lab snapped back into reality.

“What made you decide to invent that?” T’Challa asked. As long as he’d known his sister, and that was her entire life, she had never made ‘frilly’ tech. She was grounded. Her tech revolved around what was needed by her king and country. Leisure technology was an oddity for her.

“I just thought it was a nice change of pace.” Shuri said. T’Challa nodded. It had been a hectic last few months, breaking the normal mold of the day sounded nice. “Now get out of my lab, I have work to do.” T’Challa laughed and retreated from his sister’s work space. Third sign missed.

 

The Fourth Sign: The New Clothes

Shuri was a beautiful young lady. She was the princess of Wakanda. Even though she was only seventeen, half a dozen offers had already been made for her hand. Which Shuri had completely rejected, she was set on her life of invention and intellectual growth. The life of a wife and mother was far from her mind. 

Her clothes were always tasteful and appropriate, befitting her titles. So, T’Challa had to do a double take when his sister stepped out into the Throne room, in short-shorts and a crop top.

“What is that?” Shuri looked down at her outfit and shrugged.

“Just trying out something new.” She said, walking to her place beside their mother. That was when he noticed the red streaks running through her hair.

“Did you dye your hair?” He asked. Their mother sat up and looked curiously at her daughter. Shuri absentmindedly went up to brush at her braids.

“I’m aloud a bit of teenage rebellion.” She said, hands going to her hips. Their mother let out a nasally laugh and guided Shuri to sit beside her. T’Challa watched his sister warily for another moment, before turning his attention to the tribal leaders. Fourth sign missed.

 

The Fifth Sign: Library Chat

Two months post Erik’s attempted Wakandan take over, he was allowed limited walkabout privileges. With a guard overseeing him of course. From what he was told about Erik’s movements he mainly spent time in the gardens, or down in Shuri’s lab. The second was surprising. Until Erik told him in no uncertain words, “Your sis ain’t the only smart one, the military put me through college. I got a bachelors in science and technology.”

“He’s hovering over my projects.” Shuri said annoyed.

“Well, they’re way more lit than any of that shit I saw back in the military.” Erik said. Shuri blushed at the compliment and turned back to her computer. “It was all baby compared to what I see here.” T’Challa smirked.

“That’s because they didn’t have vibranium.” Shuri said.

“Yeah, it’s definitely the wonder metal.” Erik said grinning. “So, how’d you make your panther claws?” Shuri’s perked up and immediately rolled into a long explanation about their construction. T’Challa was lost before the end of the first sentence, but Erik leaned forward listening to every word, even commenting his own thoughts and opinions.

T’Challa watched in awe for a few minutes, before slipping out of the room unnoticed. It wasn’t often Shuri had anyone to rival her intellect, who actually knew enough to keep pace with her. T’Challa was nowhere near her level. But, it was nice. Having his sister and cousin getting along so well. Who would have guess they would have been such good friends? Fifth sign missed.

 

Sixth Sign: The name slip

He and Shuri had been arguing about something. It was dumb and didn’t matter in hindsight, but Shuri had been stubborn. T’Challa had ideas about improvements for his new Black Panther suit. Shuri didn’t like them. If he recalled correctly her words had been. “Not in a million years will I allow that filth on my creation.” Filth! His ideas were not filth.

“Your way isn’t the only way!”

“It’s the smarter way.” She’d countered back.

“Says who?”

“N’Jadaka!”

T’Challa paused, and the Shuri seemed to realize what she said.

“Erik, I meant Erik.” she said quickly. That was the most suspicious of all

“That’s not a common slip, why use his native name?” T’Challa questioned.

“Uh. We’ve been spending more time together, he asked if I’d call him by his true Wakanda name.” Shuri told him sheepishly. Interesting. He’d been spending a fair amount of time around Erik, and he’d made no such requests. He and Shuri were better friends than he realized. A glaringly obvious sign six, missed.

 

Sign Seven: Not a sign, more like skywriting

Three months post Erik’s defeat. T’Challa was due to leave for the states for a conference in the morning, but he couldn’t sleep. His brain was off running a 5K. He’d spent the better part of the last few hours rolling in his bed, until he kicked his duvet off in frustration. A nice walk through the palace was what he thought would be enough to settle his mind and body.

He’d walked through most of the palace, but didn’t feel any drop in energy. Which brought him out to the gardens. If the beautiful flowers, and peaceful sounds of the fountains didn’t lull him into sleep, then it was a lost cause. He smiled as his bare feet met the soft grass, shoes were left behind. There was no point in making noise and alerting any of the palace staff that he was awake.

T’Challa sat down on one of the benches and let his head fall back. Eyes closed, listening to the quiet night. It worked just as expected. He felt his heart slowing, and the land of sleep drawing closer. 

“N’Jadaka….ohh!” T’Challa’s eyes snapped wide open. Someone was moaning. No, someone was moaning his cousins name. Oh, no. T’Challa knew his well behaved act would slip, now he’s seducing people. That wasn’t going to continue. T’Challa stood and silently crept toward where the moan had come from. He ducked around a hedge, and froze where he stood. Mind halting to a hard crashing stop.

Erik was stood at most three feet from him, his arms wrapped around…..Shuri! They were locked in a passionate kiss. Shuri’s arms were wound around Erik’s neck, pulling him close to her. While one of his hands rested on her hip, and the other tangled in her braids. This was not happening! T’Challa felt the hairs on his arms bristle as he saw their tongues sweeping in and out each other’s mouth.

Nope.

T’Challa backed up quickly and quietly, running as soon as he knew he was out of earshot. Not stopping until he was back in the safety of his room. Chest heaving, and pulse racing. What the hell was that! He slid down his closed door and looked blankly at his room.

How had this even happened? Erik was their cousin, and he and Shuri were……..T’Challa didn’t even want to think about it. He refused. What was he supposed to do? Did he tell someone, his mother maybe. No. That would make Shuri’s life torture, and she would never forgive him.

How long had this been going on? T’Challa thought back, and wanted to thump himself over the head. There had been signs, obvious ones that he’d missed. He felt like an idiot. Now he had to handle this situation…..or did he? They wouldn’t be the first royals of the same blood to enter into a relationship. In the old days it had been fairly common. And Shuri was seventeen, would be eighteen in only a few months. She’d be a legal adult, and he’d have no say. He didn’t have say right now anyways. Shuri did what she wanted, that’s how she’d always been.

Someday she’d tell him about their relationship, and he’d act surprised. For now he’d keep his mouth shut and let her live her life. But he still wondered…..how had he missed the signs? 


End file.
